Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“I… You… I—”
“The always-quick-on-his feet Jay is left speechless?” I crossed my arms and cocked a brow. “I really must have hit a nerve.”
“No, Ryan. It’s not that I hate you. It’s that… I hate everything you stand for.”
“How do you know what I stand for?”
Jay stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Because I’ve read all the interviews. About your dad excited to have his son take up Redpine’s reins when he’s ready to step down. It’s not difficult to find. Would he really be giving it up to you if you didn’t at least show a little interest?”
I winced as if I’d accidentally grabbed a hot pan. “Me and my dad have a complicated relationship. I love him, I do, but I don’t really love the things he does. In fact, if I’m being honest, I’d… Forget it. Just know I don’t support his company.”
How could I tell him I wanted to go into game development when I couldn’t even say it to my dad?
Jay cocked his head. He studied me with those big puppy eyes of his. What was he thinking? Was I getting through to him? Or was he looking at weak spots in my armor, trying to figure out if I was lying or something?
I stayed silent, only looked at him. He was so cute, the way his neck started flushing all kinds of pink. I had him pinned. I pressed my advantage, holding my glare. He slumped back and sat on his bed, the springs squeaking.
Fuck, I wanted to make them squeak even louder.
But first, more silence. More pressure.
More pink.
“Fine,” he finally relented. “I don’t hate everything you stand for. I do stand against everything your family’s company does, though. There, that better?”
“We’re getting there.” I sucked in a breath.
Shit. I hated how my dad cast a shadow over me, even in my private life. “I really don’t stand for what my dad’s company has done. Yes, I’m a direct beneficiary of the masses of money my dad’s made, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty about it. And those interviews that you read are never done with me in the room. What my dad thinks might happen can be totally wrong.”
“Then what have you been doing to make things right?” His question was pointed and felt like it shot me through the heart. I was suddenly a balloon that was quickly deflating.
Because I knew immediately that I didn’t have a good answer for Jay. Not an answer he was looking for, at least. “I donate every year to different environmental organizations.”
“That’s… that’s fine. At least you’re helping put the money back into good hands. I just… Do you want to know why this is my first semester at FU? Because I was kicked out of my last school for organizing a protest against the exact type of things your family supports. The protest got way out of hand, and people got hurt. There was an entirely different group that showed up with BB guns and firecrackers.” He rubbed the back of his neck. I could see the shadowy reflection of that terrible day cross his gaze.
“Fuck, really?”
“Yeah. They wanted to cause chaos, but the firecrackers ended up causing a huge forest fire, and a few people were hit with BB pellets. Cops showed up—one of them got hurt, along with three protestors.” His expression looked strained. Scared. I didn’t like this kind of look on him.
At. All.
“Whoa, whoa.” I got up and put a hand out, as if I were approaching a wounded animal. “Is it all right if I sit next to you?” I could tell I wasn’t his favorite person in the world in that moment, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t make him feel uncomfortable in the slightest.
“Yeah, it’s fine,” he said, his hands in his lap. He chipped away at his nails. I put a hand on his leg, stopping the bounce.
“Is this okay?”
He looked down at my hand. “Yeah.” Jay took in a deep breath. He already seemed to be calming down. Good. I liked him calm. “I take this shit seriously, okay? I don’t want to mess up again. I want to try and make a change, and sleeping across the room from the heir to a near-billion-dollar oil company is kind of wild to me.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be sleeping across from me, then?”
He shot me a look. “You’re right, I should be sleeping miles away.”
“I was thinking more like right next to me, but I guess we can work that out later.”
He rolled his eyes, but I could see the flash of a smile, like a light in the night. Reassuring. Good, we were on the right track. “I’m sorry. I really am. I wish I had some more solid shit to point to, but let me tell you that I fully don’t approve of what my dad’s company does.”